Spinning apparatus



N. E. KLEIN SPINNING APPARATUS Jan. 20, 1959 Filed July 19, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. NORMAN E. KLEIN y MZIZLZM AITORNEY Jam. 20, 1959 Filed July 19, 1954 MiG I47 FIG.'2'

N. E. KLEIN SPINNING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. NORMAN E. KLEIN "W a. M

ATTORNEY N. E. KLEIN SPINNING APPARATUS Jan. 20, 1959 Fild July 19, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 V INVENIUR NORMAN E.KLE IN M 7% I \wmm ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,869,315 SPINNING APPARATUS Norman E. Klein, Pendleton, S. C., assignor to Deering 'Milliken Research Corporation, Pendleton, S. C., a

corporation of Delaware Application July 19, 1954, Serial No. 444,245

18 Claims. (Cl. 57-58-84) This invention relates to apparatus for spinning thread, yarn and the like from natural or artificial fibers and more particularly to an improved spinning apparatus employing a tWo-for-one spinning spindle.

Spinning apparatus employing a two-for-one spinning spindle has heretofore been proposed although such a success and today substantially all spinning is performed by conventional apparatus utilizing either the ring and.

traveller or the mule system.

The primary disadvantage of prior art apparatus ofthe type employing a two-for-one spindle is that excessive ends down are encountered even under the most favorable circumstances and some yarns, readily spinnable on conventional ring and traveller apparatus, cannot be spun at all. These disadvantages stem from the fact that the balloon size for equal package capacity is necessarily considerably larger in a two-for-one spindle than in a ring and traveller arrangement and the larger balloon in prior art two-for-one spinning apparatus results in increased tension in the strand at its point of departure from the drawing frame. Therefore, even if the strand as it leaves the drawing frame had equal tensile strength, ditficulty might be expected with a two-for-one arrangement requiring a higher tensionsince excess tension in the strand as it departs the drawing frame is a source of difficulty even with ring and traveller apparatus as is attested to by the presence on the market of special devices for reducing the tension in the strand at this point. However, in a two-for-one spinning system the strand as it departs the drawing frame does not ordinarily have the same strength as in ring and traveller apparatus since at most only one-half of the twist can be inserted to lend strength to the yarn at this point. In other words, if the total twist to be applied to the strand in the spinning operaion is, for example, '10 turns per inch, the strand as it leaves the drawing frame in a two-for-one spinning system cannot even theoretically have applied thereto more than turns per inch, without resorting to false twisting, whereas in 'the conventional ring and traveller system it is theoretically possible for the strand at this point to have substantially the full turns per inch and in practice it would have at least about 7 turns per inch to lend additional strength. a

A further disadvantage of prior art spinning apparatus employing the two-for-one twisting principle is that with .such apparatus there is frequently drafting of the yarn combination has never obtained any degree of commercial Patented Jan. 20, 1959 Ice correspond to the output of the drafting frame with compensation for any drafting that might deliberately or otherwise be obtained during the passage of the strand from the drafting frame through the spinningspindle.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an apparatus, utilizing the two-for-one principle in a novel manner, that will spindle draft" a yarn in a man ner similar in some degree to mule spinning.

The above as well as other objects of the invention are accomplished by the combination comprising a drafting frame, which can be conventional in construction, and a; two-for-one twister adapted to receive a strand at the base of a rotatable spindle for passage to aballoon driving mechanism. The twister is so constructed that the yarn passes from the balloon driving mechanism into a rotating balloon and thereafter to a take-up package located within the balloon. It will be seen that this arrangement differs materially from prior art arrangements wherein the strand of yarn is passed directly from the drawing frame through an apex guide into the yarn bal- 10011 in a manner analogous to ring and traveller spinlllIlg.

A most important feature of the new apparatus is that the mean tension in the yarn as it leaves the drawing frame can be reduced to a value even less than that found in ring and traveller spinning thereby resulting in fewer ends down.

A further feature of the invention is that the apparatus can be arranged to impart to the strand in the balloon area substantially the full twist to be imparted by the spinning operation thereby increasing the strength of the strand and permitting either a larger balloon or higher speed at the whorl. This in turn enables one to collect the yarn in larger packages or spin at greater production rates.

It is a further feature of the invention that the tensionv in the strand leaving the drafting roll can be modulated in a rapid cyclic manner to produce an effect similar in some degree to that obtained in mule spinning.

Still other features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of several preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying It is an object of the present invention to provide a spinning apparatus utilizing a two-for-one spindle wherein the tension in the strand as it leaves the drawing frame is as low as may be desired. t

It is a further object of the invention to provide a spinning apparatusjutilizing the two-for-one principle drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partially schematic, with parts broken away and in section of one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the brake for the the rotatable apex guide of the twisting spindle illustrated in Figure l;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the spring biasing the apex shaft of the twisting spindle illustrated in Figure 1 against rotation; t

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a modified arrangement of the apex section of a twisting spindle similar in most respects to that illustrated in Figure l and;'

Figure 5 is an embodiment of the invention particularly adapted for two-for-one spinning including spindle drafting action; 7

With particular reference to Figure 1, the reference numeral 10 indicates a suitable support member carrying a supply package 12, only partially illustrated, of sliver, roving or the like. An end 14 of sliver or roving is led from the supply package 12 over an idler pulley 16 and to a conventional drafting frame generally indicated by the reference numeral 18. The drafting frame 18 is illustrated as being of the type'sold by Saco-Lowell Shops and comprises a support member 20, a guide 22 to lead asesjsie 3 thesliver or roving'14' between a 'firstpair of rolls 24 and 26. The sliver or roving then passes to the intermediate drafting elements of the frame comprising upper rolls" 28 and'3il and a belt 32 running about a lower roll 34, a guide 35, and a tensioning roll'36. The strand thereafter passes between the delivery rolls 38 and 40 which, of course, are' running at a much higher rate of speed than the initial rolls 24 and 26. To keep the top rolls lint free, a flat clearer 42 is provided for' rolls 26 and 28 while a separate clearerroll 44 is provided for roll40.

There is generally indicated by the'reference numeral 46 a two-for-on'e' inflow twisting spindle similar inmost details "to that disclosed 'in' my co-pending application Serial Number 424,461, filed April 20, 1954. The yarn from the delivery rolls 38 ,and 40 of the drafting frame 18passes into an axial passage 47 in shaft 48. The shaft 48 isiournaled in a pair of anti-friction bearings such as ball bearings 50 and 52 which are carried by a suitable support platform indicated by the reference numeral 54. The shaft 48 is adapted to be rapidly rotated and is driven by means of a whorl or pulley 56 and a belt 58 passed about the drive pulley of a motor, not illustrated.

The strand 14 emerges from the axial passage in shaft 48 through an orifice 60 positioned adjacent a balloon driving assembly 61 carried by shaft 48 and comprising a thread storage'device 62 and a disk flier 63. The thread storage device 62 is preferably of the two-step eccentric design disclosed in my co-pending application Serial Number 244,812, filed September 1, 1951, now Patent No. 2,811,013, and, in addition to its usual function, serves as a wrap-around capstan to prevent balloon tension from being transmitted in its entirety to the strand as it leaves the drafting frame. From this it will be seen that the greater the degree of wrap on the thread storage device, the less is the tension in the yarn as it departs the drafting frame and while the most advantageous size of storage device will vary with spindle speed, balloon size, the denier of the yarn being spun and the tension desired in the yarn between the drafting frame and the spindle, as a general rule, for plain spinning, the size of the storage device should be selected to give an average of approximately one-half turn of wrap under ordinary operating conditions.

- Positioned on the extreme right end of shaft 48, as viewed in Figure 1, is a slotted hub 64 journaled about shaft 48 and freely rotatable with respect thereto by virtue of anti-friction bearings such as ball bearings 66 and 68. The hub 64 is provided at its left end, as viewed in Figure 1, with two elongated lobes 70 and 72 and at its right end with an annular fiange 74 to which is rigidly secured an annular support plate indicated by the reference numeral 76. The plate 76 forms one end of floating framework which comprises two elongated support members 78 and 80 running substantially at right angles to the plane of plate 76 and a crescent-shaped plate 82 running frommember 78 to member 80 and forming the righthand end of the framework as viewed in Figure 1. The entire framework isstabilized against r otation with'shaft 48 by eccentric weight distribution.

Extending from plate 76 substantially parallel to shaft 48'is anaxle 84 about whichis jo'urnaled a cylindrical member 86 freely rotatable with respect thereto by virtue ofanti-friction bearings, one of which is illustrated at 88. The 'cylindrical member 86 constitutes a mandrel adapted to receive a winding core upon which can be wound a quantity of yarn in the form of a cylindrical package as illustrated at 90 in Figure 1 of the drawings.

. .The cylindrical member 86 supporting the yarn package 90 is adapted to be driven from shaft 48 through a gear train and slip coupling. The shaft 48 has fixed thereto within the bearing housing or hub 64 a small gear 92 whichmeshes through a slot in housing 64 with a larger gear94 on a shaft 96 extending from lobe'72 through the annular support disk 76. The shaft 96has mounted on its extreme right end a small gear 98 which meshes with a first gear 100 of a slip coupling gainer gear assembly generally indicated by the reference numeral 102. The slip coupling gainer gear assembly 102 is journaled about a stub axle supported by the annular plate 76 and comprises two large gears'li l4 and; 106 in addition to the driven gear 100. Gear 104 is driven from gear 100 through a constant torque slip clutch while gear 106 is driven from gear 104 by a suitable train of planetary gears which results in it being advanced a very small fraction of a turn with each revolution of the gear 104and its purpose will be made clear in subsequent paragraphs. The exact'construction of the gainer gear assembly-does not constitute apart of present invention and details of construction may be had by reference to my above cited co-pending application Serial Number 424,461. Gear 194 ofthe gainer gear assembly meshes with a gear 108 carried by thecylindrical member 86 and this completes the gear train for driving the yarn take-up package.

Positioned on shaft 48 between gear 92 and bearing 63 is a small gear 110'which is the initial gear in another gear train for'driving the mechanism for advancing the yarn. The gear 110 meshes with a larger gear 112, journaled about a stub shaft 114 extending from lobe 70 of housing, and gear 112 meshes with a smaller gear 116 on one end of a rotatable shaft 117. The shaft 117 extends through support members 76 and 82 and is freely rotat' able by virtue of an anti-friction bearing 118 carried by member 76 and an anti-friction bearing 120 carried by a bracket 121 extending from member 78. On the righthand end of shaft 117, as viewed in Figure 1, is a small gear 122, rotatable therewith, which drives a pair of tapered rollers'124 and 126 also supported by bracket 121.

After leaving the thread storage device 62 the strand of yarn 14 passes over flyer 63 into the balloon andthereafterto an apex assembly carried by an extension 1300f member 78 and generally indicated by the; reference nu-i meral 132. The apex assembly 132 comprises a shaft 134' aligned generally parallel with shaft 48 and journaled through bearing housing 136 in the end of member 78. The shaft 134"is freely rotatable by virtue of anti-friction bearings such as ball bearings 138 and 140. Rotatably mounted, by means of a bearing 141 (see Figure 2 on the extreme right end of shaft 134, as viewed in Figures 1 and 2, is an annular guide member 142 which serves to provide a smooth surface for theyarn as it leaves the balloon and enters an axial passage 143 in shaft 134. The guide 142 is mounted for rotation with respect to'shaft 134 and is preferably provided with an adjustable friction brake, generally indicatedby the reference numeral 144, so that the force required for rotation of guide 142 can be set at any desired value.

A suitable form of friction brake for use in varying the force'required for rotation of guide 142 is illustrated'in detail in Figure 2 'of the drawings. The brake comprises anut-like member 145 movable longitudinallyfof "shaft 134 by 'means of suitable threads. Carried by "the nut member 145 is a torsionally stable, bellows type, circular spring member 146 havingattached thereto an annular piece of felt or brake lining material, indicated by the reference numeral 147. By' varying the position of the nut member 145 longitudinally of shaft 134, it is' possible to compress or expand 'spring 'member' 146 and thereby vary the pressure with which the lining material 147 'is pressed against the end'of guide member 142'. If desired,

the brake can be employed to completely lock the guide 142 against rotation and, indeed, when working withce'r" tain types of yarn it will be found that best results are obtained when guide 142 is locked for rotation as a unit with shaft 134. So that the braking pressure'canibe retained at a selected value, nut member" 145 is provided with locking means such as set screw'148 which is'z'u'iapteld to bear against shaft 134 and lockm'einber 145'in any selected position.

Mounted on the' inner en'd'ofshaft 1341s api'g-tail guide 149 with its eye normally positioned adjacent the bite of rollers 124 and 126 so that a strand of yarn may be led through guide 142, through the axial passage 143 in shaft 134, through the eye of guide 149 and between rollers 124 and 126. 1

Positioned on shaft 134 intermediate guide 142, and bearing 140 is an annular ring member 152 which is adapted to be contacted by the yarn balloon and thereby urge rotation of shaft 134 and so that there can be obtained the desired degree of contact between annular ring 152 and the yarn in the balloon, provision is made for adjusting the position of ring member 152 lengthwise of shaft 134. A spring 153 is employed to bias the shaft 134 against rotation. The spring 153 may advantageously be of the spiral type as shown in Figure 3 and is attached at one end to shaft 134 and at the other to an extension 154 from housing 136.

To guide the yarn end after leaving the rolls 124 and 126 there is provided a series of guide pulleys 156, 158, 160, 162, and 164, and to minimize the tension fluctuations in the yarn during its travel from the rolls 124 and 126 to the yarn package 90, the pulley 160 is mounted on one end of a coil spring 166 the other end of which is attached to plate 76 as shown in Figure 1. From the guide pulley 164, the yarn is passed to a linear compensating device generally indicated by the reference numeral 167 and shown schematically as guide pulleys 168 and 170. The yarn is then passed to a guide pulley 172 mounted on a traverse arm 174, through an eye 176 in the extreme upper end of the traverse arm 174 as viewed in Figure l and thereafter to the yarn package 90. The linear compensating arrangement 167 is designed to maintain constant the length of the yarn path between guide pulleys 164 and 172 whatever may be the position of the traverse arm 174.

The traverse arm 174 is connected to a crescent-shaped cam follower 178 which rides in a continuous reversing cam groove 179 in a barrel cam 180. The barrel cam is rotatably supported by members 76 and 82 and is adapted to be driven from gear 106. It will be seen that by this arrangement the barrel cam 180 makes a preselected number of revolutions for each revolution of the mandrel 86 and that for a precision wound package, this number must be varied slightly with different deniers of yarn. The slip coupling gainer gear assembly generally indicated by the reference numeral 102 is designed to make possible such fine adjustments.

In operation, a strand of sliver or roving from package 12 is passed around guide 16 and between the elements of the drafting frame. The strand of material issuing from the drafting rolls has a low tensile strength so that a separate threading cord or strand of yarn is employed for threading of the spinning spindle. The cord or strand of yarn is attached to a threading tool and the tool is inserted through the axial passage in shaft 48, through orifice 60, around flyer 63, through apex guide 142, and the axial passage in shaft 134, and through pig-tail guide 149. The threading tool is then removed and the yarn end is passed about thevarious guide pulleys in the manner previously explained. The yarn end is then threaded through the eye 176 of traverse arm 174 and wrapped several times about a winding core on mandrel 86.

At this :point the spinning spindle and the drafting frame are placed in operation and the strand of material issuing from the drafting frame is fed into the spinning spindle on the threading cord. The apparatusthen continues to operate Without further attention until the yarn package 90 is filled since the action of the variable intake feed or variable rate yarn advancing system, comprising the tapered rolls 124 and 126 and the apex assembly 132, combined with the action of the yarn storage device 62 maintains the output of the spinning spindlehinperfect synchronis'mcwith the output .of the drafting frame. If, .lfOl'" example, the length of yarn-between the delivery rolls 38 and 40 and the apex guide 142 should increase due 1 to, for example, drafting in the ballon, the yarn storage device would attempt to compensate for the difference by.

increasing the degree of wrap-around while the variable feed assembly would tend to increase the rate at which the yarn is being withdrawn from the balloon The latter is accomplished as a result of the yarn in the balloon exerting less force on ring member 152 due to the balloons increased diameter, and this in turn results in shaft 134 being rotated by spring 153 so that pig-tail guide 149 is .raoved to such a position that the strand is fed between tapered rollers 124 and 126 at a point where the rollers are of larger diameter. Since the yarn take-up package is frictionally driven by the gainer gear assembly, the

rate of yarn collection automatically agrees with the rateat which the yarn is fed from tapered rolls 124 and 126, and the tapered rolls, friction driven take-up package and theapex assembly 132 act together as a 'variablerate yarn in the balloon has only approximately one-half of' the eventual twist. In the present apparatus, the first half of the twist is inserted between the last pair of rolls of the drafting frame and the yarn storage device. The remainder of the twist would theoretically be inserted as the strand changes direction and passes through the apex guide of the twister but a large portion of the second half of the twist can be forced to run back into the balloon by allowing the strand to roll over the apex guide 142. For this reason, as previously pointed out, the annular apex guide 142 is preferably equipped with a friction brake so that the ease with which it rotates on shaft 134 can be set as desired and the amount of rolling of the strand on the guide can be readily adjusted to give the most' efficient results.

In Figure 4 of the drawings there is illustrated a modified apex assembly constructed to give greater sensitivity in the variable speed yarn puller assembly. With reference to Figure 4 of the drawings there is illustrated the apex section of the yarn balloon 182 as the yarn enters an annularyarn guide 184 positioned on the extreme end of a tubular shaft 186 The shaft 186 is journaled through low-friction bearings such as ball bearings 188 and 190 mounted in a cylindrical housing 192 carried on one end of a support bar 194, and carries a brake 195, which can be of the type illustrated in Figure 2, forthe guide 184. As the yarn passes from the balloon 182 to the guide 184 .it is biased slightly from its normal path by an annular ring 196 adjustably positioned on shaft 186 between housing 192 and guide 184, and the contact of the yarn with the ring 196 urges the shaft 186 to rotate in a direction correspondng to the rotation of the yarn balloon.

The extreme left-end of shank 186 as viewed in Figure 4 is provided with a small gear 198 which meshes with a larger gear 200 carried by a stub shaft 202. The stub shaft 202 is I carried by anti-friction bearings such as ball bearings 204 and 206 mounted in a suitable housing 208 carried by support arm 194. The left extreme end of shaft 202 as viewed in Figure 4 carries two pig-tail guides 210 and 212. The guide 210 extends axially of the shaft 202 and the guide 212 extends upwardly at right angles to the axis of the shaft.

A bracket 214 carried by member 194 provides a suitable mounting for a pair of tapered rollers 216 and 218. The rollers are driven by a gear 220 carried by shaft 222 journaled insuitable. anti-friction bearings one of which.

7 I1 1 b 1 tf' means'such as illustrated for driving shaft 117 in Figure 1 Or'byany other suitable means. Thefeed rolls 216 and 218 are so positioned that their line of contact is approximately aligned with the'arch through which the eye of pig-tail guide 212' moves with'rotation of shaft 202 so that the yarn is' at all times fed to the rollers in a line approximately perpendicular to a plane passing through the axes of rotation of the two rolls. The'eye of pig-tail guide 212 is retained in a proper position with respect to feed rolls 216 and 218 by a spiral spring 224 fastened atone end to shaft 186 and at the other end to an arm 226 extending from housing 192.

In operation, a yarn end is threadedthrough its proper flow-path tothe'annular guide 184. The yarn end is then passed through the guide, through the axial passage in shaft 186 through the eyesofpig-tail guides 210 and 212 and between rolls216 and 218. If the tension in the yarn being fed to the balloon increases, this results in the diameter of the balloon being lessened so that the contact of yarn with ring member 196 is increased and shaft 186 is rotated against the bias provided by spring 224. As shaft 186 is rotated, it results in the rotation of shaft 202 through gears 198 and 200 so that the eye of pig-tail guide 212 is moved laterally with respect'to the bite of rolls 216 and 218. This results in the yarn being fed to the rolls at a point where they are of lesser diameter so that the rate of takeup is thereby decreased. Should the tension in the yarn being fed to the balloon decrease, the frictional contact of the yarn with ring member 196 is correspondingly decreased so that shaft 186 is rotated in the opposite directionand the yarn is fed to rollers 216 and 218 at a point where they are of larger diameter so that the rate of take-up of the yarn is increased.

In Figure 5 of the drawings there is illustrated an embodirnent of the invention particularly adapted for .spindle drafting in order to gain in some measure the beneficial effects of the mule spinning system. With this arrangement the strand of yarn between the drafting frame, generally indicated by the reference numeral 230, and the spinning spindle, generally indicated by the reference numeral 232, is intermittently drafted in the presence of twisting action to obtain a more uniform yarn.

With reference to Figure 5, a support frame 234 carries a supply package 236 adapted to furnish a strand of roving, sliver or the like generally indicated by the reference numeral 238. The strand 238 is passed over a guide pulley 240 and thereafter to the drafting frame 230. The drafting frame 230 is substantially identical to that illustrated in Figure 1 and comprises a 242 and 244 intermediate drafting rolls generally indicated by the reference numeral 246 and delivery rolls 252 and 254. i

The spinning spindle, generally indicated by the reference numeral 232, is similar in' many respects to that disclosed in my co-pending UL'S. application Serial Numhe r 220,665, filed April 12, 1951, now Patent No. 2,732,681 and comprises a rotatableshaft 256 journaled 'through anti-friction bearings such as ball bearings 258 and 260 "mounted on a suitable support indicated by the reference numeral 262. The shaft 256 is provided with -an axial passage 263 running from 'its base, indicated by the referencenumeral 264 along at least a portion of its length and is mounted with its axis of rotation at an angle to a line running from 'the base of said shaft to the ultimate pair of rolls in said drafting frame 230. The longitudinal passage in shaft 256 may be axially positioned throughout a greater part of'its length but the entrance to the passage must be eccentric in some manner with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft 256 since, as will be made more apparent by subsequent paragraphs, this eccentricity provides the intermittent drafting for which the present embodiment of the invention is designed.

Positioned on the "shaf t 256 "and adapted-for rotation The shaft 222 can in turn'be drivenby' first pair of rolls therewith is a 'ba'lloon driving assembly generally indi cated by the reference numeral 265 and comprising a' yarn storage device 266 and a disk flier 267. The thread storage portion 266'ofthe assembly 265 isipreferably of the two-step eccentric design as described in connection with the firstembodiment of the invention. vAn orifice 269 in the wall of shaft 256 adjacent the thread storage device 266 connects with the passageway 263 so that a thread or strand of yarn may be passed from passageway 263 through orifice 269 to thread storage device 266.

Positioned on shaft 256 upwardly from the flier 267 is a rectangular platform 268 mounted for rotation with respect to shaft 256 by virtue of anti-friction bearings, one of which is indicated by the reference numeral 270, and stabilized against rotation by weight distribution. platform 268 has a pair of opposed upstanding end sections one of which is illustrated at 272 and journaled in these end sections is a spirally grooved yarn traverse roll 274 of conventional construction. The roll 274 is driven by a belt 276 running about a pulley 278 fixed to a shaft 280 carrying a large gear 281 which meshes with a pinion gear 282 on the upper end of shaft 256. A pair of idler pulleys 284 and 286 are provided for guiding the belt 276 in its passage between the pulley 278 and roll 274. The upstanding walls of platform 268 are provided with slots, one of which is illustrated at 288, for reception of the ends of an axle 290 adapted to receive a yarn package, indicated by the reference numeral 292, which is rotated by engagement with the spirally grooved traverse roll 274 in a conventional manner.

The spinning spindle 232 is provided with both an inner ring 294 and an outer ring 296 between which the yarn end passes while'being rotated in the form of a balloon. The inner ring 294 serves to prevent the yarn from becoming entangled with the gear 281 and other elements mounted on the platform 268 and is secured by any suitable means to the upstanding end sections of the platform 268. The outer ring 296 cooperates with the yarn storage device 266 in controlling the size of the balloon, and is supported by an upstanding rod 298 secured to support member 262 by any suitable means.

In addition to their other functions, the upstanding ends 272 of platform 268 serve as a support for an arm 300 carrying an apex guide 302 which serves to support one end of the yarn balloon. The arm 300 is hinged at 304 to permit removal of the yarn package 292. Also carried by the upstanding ends of platform 268 is an elongated guide pin 306 which extends between a pair of supports, one of which is shown at 308. The guide pin 306 serves to direct the yarn end around package 292 in its passage from apex guide 302 to traverse roll 274.

An electric motor 312 or other suitable means is provided for driving both the spinning spindle and the drafting frame. The spinning spindle is driven by means of a belt 314 extending about'a drive pulley 316 on the shaft 318 of motor 312 and a pulley 320 mounted between bearings 258 and 260 on shaft 256. Both pulleys are of the split V type so that'the speed of the spindle relative to the drafting frame may be readily adjusted. Drafting frame 230 is driven by means of a worm 321, mounted on the drive shaft 318 of motor 312, which 'meshes with a worm gear 322 on shaft 324. The shaft 324 is freely rotatable by means of ball bearings 326 and 328 and drives a worm gear 330 on drafting frame 230 by meansof a worm 332.

In operation, a strand of sliver or roving from package 236 is passed over guide 240 and between the consecutive ally preferable to employ a piece of :spun 'yarn or .a

threading cord for threading of the spinning spindle. By either procedure the strand is secured to a threading tool and passed into the passage 263 of shaft 256, and through orifice 269 into contact with the thread storage device. The threading tool is then passed outwardly over the peripheral rim of the flier 267 and between the rings 294 and 296 to the apex guide 302. From the apex guide the strand is threaded over guide bar 306 and under traverse roll 274 at which point the threading tool is removed and the strand is wrapped several times around a suitable core carried by axle 290. As motor 312 is placed in operation, one end of the threading cord is held by thumb and forefinger and rolled" or twisted into the fibers issuing from between delivery rolls 252 and 254. Twist thereafter is supplied by the rotation of spindle 232 In this embodiment of the invention, the length of the thread: path from the last rolls of thedra'fting frame 230 to the orifice in the base 264 of shaft 256 is continually fluctuating by an amount dependent upon the degree of eccentricity of the orifice with respect to the axis of rotation of shaft 256. While the yarn in this section of the flow-path is under a mean tension lower than that of the yarn in the balloon by the reciprocal function of the tension amplification ratio obtained in the wrap-around-balloon-shape control step, the peak tensions caused by the rapid cyclic pulling action of the rotating spindle will be higher in sufficient degree to cause drafting effects. At the low tension point of this rapid cyclic change, the tension in the balloon is momentarily greater than the drafting area tension by some factor larger than the wrap-around amplification ratio and will cause a forward movement of the yarn. The wraparound storage device then acts in some degree as a puller capstan allowing only unilateral flow action. Also, the storage action tends to minimize pulsating changes in balloon shape or size. When the tension in the yarn before it reaches the yarn storage device is low, the Wraparound on the storage device increases to prevent the yarn balloon from becoming overly enlarged and when the tension in the yarn end before it reaches the storage device is high, the yarn storage device prevents the yarn balloon from becoming too small by giving up a portion of its stored yarn. From this it can be seen that even though the flow of yarn through the passage 263 is intermittent, the balloon size is retained relatively constant and that the drafting action is confined to theregion between the yarn storage device and the delivery rolls 252 and 254 on drafting frame 230.

I claim:

1. Improved apparatus for spinning comprising in combination a drafting frame, a spindle, said spindle being rotatably supported intermediate its two ends and said spindle having an orifice in the wall thereof and a lengthwise passage leading from one of the unsupported ends of said spindle into communication with said orifice, said spindle being so positioned with respect to said drafting frame that a strand of material from said frame may be passed directly into said passage in said unsupported end of said spindle to thereby permit the strand to be freely rotated between said spindle and said drafting frame so that the strand is immediately twisted as it issues from said drafting frame by the rotation of said spindle, a

support member floatingly mounted on said spindle and frame through said passage, out said orifice into engagement with said driving means, through said guide means and to said collecting means, the strand is revolved in the form of a balloon about said support member when said spindle is rotated.

2. Improved apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said balloon driving means comprises an eccentric yarn storage device.

3. Improved apparatus as in claim 1 having a variable-rate yarn advancing means adapted to receive yarn from said strand guide means, said advancing means being responsive to balloon size whereby the rate of yarn advance is increased with increasing balloon diameter and decreased with decreasing balloon diameter.

4.. Improved apparatus for spinning comprising in combination a drafting frame, and a rotatable spindle, said spindle having an orfiice in the wall thereof and a lengthwise passage leading from one end of said spindle into communication with said orifice, a support member floatingly mounted on said spindle and stabilized against rotation therewith by weight distribution, precision yarn package forming means carried by said support member and driven by said spindle, strand guide means carried by said support member and positioned on the extended axis of rotation of said spindle, an eccentric yarn storage device adapted to drive a strand of yarn extending from said storage device to said strand guide means in the form of a balloon, and variable-rate yarn take-up means carried by said support member and driven by said spindle, said take-up means being responsive to variations in balloon size to increase the rate of take-up with increasing balloon diameter and to decrease the rate of take-up with decreasing balloon diameter.

5. In a two-for-one twisting apparatus wherein a strand ment which comprises a variable-rate yarn advancing means adapted to receive said strand after it passes from said balloon and to advance the same against balloon tension, said means being responsive to balloon size to increase the rate of advance when the size of the balloon increases and to decrease the rate of advance when the balloon size decreases.

6. The improvement of claim 5 wherein said yarn advancing means comprises a pair of driven, tapered rollers between which the strand of yarn is adapted to be passed, a rotatable annular member adapted to contact the yarn as it is rotated in the balloon, a yarn guide adapted to feed said yarn to the bite of said rollers, said yarn guide being movable in response to rotation of said annular-member and adapted to feed said yarn to said rollers at varying roller diameters corresponding to various degrees of rotation of said annular member, and resilient means biasing said annular member against rotation, whereby when in operation the degree of rotation of said annular member varies with the yarn balloon diameter.

7. In a two-for-one twisting apparatus wherein a strand of yarn is rotated in the form of aballoon and withdrawn from the balloon through a rotatable annular guide at the apex thereof, the improvement which comprises braking means for said annular guide, whereby the yarn can be caused to roll over said guide and increase the twist in the yarn in the balloon area.

8. The improvement of claim 7 wherein said braking means comprises an annular ring of lining material and a torsionally stable, bellows type, annular spring adapted to resiliently urge said material against the inner end of said annular guide.

9. Improved apparatus suitable for use in spinning comprising in combination a drafting frame, a rotatable spindle positioned at an angle with respect to a line running from the base of said spindle to the ultimate pair of rolls in said drawing frame, said spindle having an orifice in the wall thereof and a lengthwise passage leading from the base of said spindle into communication with said orifice, said passage entering the base of said spindle eccentric to the axis of rotation, a support member floatingly mounted on said spindle and stabilized against rotation therewith, strand collectingmeans mounted on said-support member, strand guide means carried by said support member and positioned on the extended axis of said spindle, and balloon driving means carried by said spindleadiacent said orificef' whereb'y when' a strand of material is drawn from'said drafting frame to said'passage in said spindle at a rate to result in further drafting, said further drafting is intermittent as a result of the eccentricity of the opening into" said passage in said spindle.

10. In an inflow two-for-one twisting apparatus suitable for use in spinning, a rotatable spindle, said spindle having an orifice in the Wall thereof and a lengthwise passage leading from one end of said spindle into communication with said orifice, said passage entering the base of said spindle eccentric to the axis of rotation thereof. p

11, An apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said spindle is provided with a yarn storage device positioned adjacent said orifice. I 1

12. An apparatus as in claim 11 wherein said yarn storage device is of an eccentric two-step design.

13. Improved apparatus for spinning comprising in' combination a drafting frame, a rotatable spindle, a support member fioatingly mounted on said spindle and stabilized against rotation therewith, strand collecting means carried by said support member and driven by said spindle, a yarn guide carried by said support member and positioned substantially on the extended axis of rotation of said spindle, balloon driving means carried by said spindle and adapted to rotate a strand, in its passage from said drafting frame to said collecting means, in the form of a balloon between said balloon driving means and said yarn guide, and means for rapidly varyirig the length of the yarn path between said drafting frame and saidballoon driving means to intermittently draft the yarn.

14. Improved apparatus for spinning comprising in combination a drafting frame, a rotatable spindle, said spindle having an orifice in the wall thereof and a lengthwisepassage leading from one end of said spindle into communication with said orifice, said spindle being positioned relative to said drafting frame so that a strand i's'suing'fr'om said drafting frame may be passed directly into said passage and out of said orifice, a support member mounted on said spindle and stabilized against rotation therewith, strand collecting means mounted on said support member, strand guide means carried by said support member and positioned on the extended axis of said spindle, balloon driving means carried by said spindle adjacent said orifice to rotate a strand of yarn in the form of a balloon between said balloon driving means and said guide means, said balloon driving means comprising a wrap-around thread storage device to serve as a 'capstan and thereby prevent balloon tension from being transmitted in its entirety to the strand as it leaves the drafting frame.

15. In an apparatps for spinning yarn and including a drafting frameand' means" for twisting and collecting a frame can be passed directly to' said one end of said spindle and into said passageway, balloon driving means.

on said spindle adjacent said discharge point to receive a strand of material issuing from said passageway and to rotate said strand in the form of a balloon, said balloon driving means comprising a wrap-around yarn storage device to serve as a capstan and thereby prevent balloon tension from being transmitted in its entirety to said strand as it leaves said drafting frame. t

16. Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said yarn storage device is of'an eccentric, two-step design.

17. In an apparatus for spinning yarn and including a drafting frame and means for twisting and collecting a strand of material issuing from said drafting frame, the improvement which comprises, a rotatable spindle having a yarn passageway extending from one end of said spindle to a discharge point spaced from said one end, said spindle being so positioned with respect to said drafting frame that a strand of material issuing from said drafting frame can be passed directly to said one end of said spindle and into said passageway, a wrap-around yarn storage device on said spindle to receive a strand of material issuing from said passageway and to rotate said strand in the form of a balloon, a variable rate strand advancing means disposed in subsequent strandflow relationship to said yarn storage device to act upon said strand subsequent to its leaving said balloon, and means responsive to balloon size to vary, in direct relationship with balloon size, the rate at which said strand is advanced by said advancing means.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said yarn storage device is" of an eccentric, two-step design.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 723,178 Norman Mar. 17, 1903 2,143,203 Maxham Jan. 10, I939 2,397,153 Naumann Mar. 26, 1946 2,689,449 Clarkson Sept. 21, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 404,168 GreatBritain Jan. 11, 1934 571,112 Germany Feb. 23, 1933 577,911 7 Germany June 7, 1933 

